It is to be appreciated that any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the present invention. Further, the discussion throughout this specification comes about due to the realisation of the inventor and/or the identification of certain related art problems by the inventor. Moreover, any discussion of material such as documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention in terms of the inventor's knowledge and experience and, accordingly, any such discussion should not be taken as an admission that any of the material forms part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia, or elsewhere, on or before the priority date of the disclosure and claims herein.
The game of roulette is a well-established game of chance played in casinos worldwide. The roulette wheel itself comprises a horizontal wheel having numbered pockets around its periphery mounted at the bottom of a bowl-shaped housing and adapted to rotate about a vertical axis. The number of each pocket is typically displayed adjacent to the pocket, and each number has an associated colour (e.g., red, black or green) typically indicated by the colour of the background on which the number is marked. A conventional American roulette wheel has thirty-eight numbered pockets displaying the numbers 1 through 36 (each assigned a colour of red or black), and the house numbers 0 and 00 (typically assigned the colour green). In playing the game players bet on the outcome of a number selection made by operation of the roulette wheel as described below. The bets are made on a gaming layout located on the gaming table adjacent to the wheel, which displays the numbers of the pockets on the roulette wheel as well as certain characteristics such as: parity (odd or even), colour (red or black), number range (1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12). Players signify their bets on the possible numbers or characteristics selected by the operation of the roulette wheel by placing chips or markers at predetermined locations on the betting layout. Once the bets have been placed the operator or croupier introduces a small ball into the bowl surrounding the spinning wheel and projects the ball tangentially within the bowl, generally in a direction opposite to the rotation of the wheel. The ball may roll around the interior of the bowl several times before it loses speed and falls toward the centre of the bowl, where it encounters the spinning roulette wheel. Eventually the ball becomes trapped in one of the numbered pockets of the wheel, thereby defining the outcome of the play. Bets are paid on the winning outcome i.e., numbers, combinations of numbers or characteristics of the numbers, according to the conventional odds associated with the game of roulette.
Typically, the roulette betting layout contains the numbers 1-36 as well as 0 and 00 each displayed in an individual cell on a background of its designated colour. In the layout more common in Europe only the number 0 is used in addition to the numbers 1-36 and the roulette wheel has only thirty-seven pockets. Bets may be made on individual numbers, by placing markers thereon, or on combinations of adjacent numbers, by placing markers on dividing lines between the numbered cells. Certain locations on the betting layout are defined for bets on certain combinations of numbers, or on red or black, or on odd or even. The payoff odds for a bet on a winning outcome are determined generally by the probability of the occurrence of a particular outcome. For example, a bet on an individual number pays 35 to 1, a bet on the combination of numbers 1-18 pays 2 to 1, and a bet on odd or even or red or black pays even money.
One known variation on roulette is found in WO 2004/024266 (Paltronics, Inc.). The ‘multi-game system’ of WO 2004/024266 is directed to the problems associated with a single roulette game not being able to accommodate all players that may wish to participate, particularly where the players are of differing proficiency and experience. These problems are addressed by providing a gaming device for allowing a player to play multiple games simultaneously. The gaming device comprises at least one game source, a server in communication with the game source, at least one display device in communication with the server, and at least one input device in communication with the display device. The game source provides at least one game to the player. The server is configured to combine data to create a set of games for display on the display device. The player is allowed to specify games to play and place a wager using the input device. After games are completed, game outcomes are displayed on the display device. In effect, the multi-game system of WO 2004/02466 allows players to electronically place wagers on one or more Roulette games. Each roulette game is independent of each other and therefore does not produce any side betting option in addition to the traditional game.
AU-B 725571 (London Casino Supplies (Australia) Pty Ltd) provides a method of wagering on multiple independent games played substantially together or simultaneously to provide additional winning opportunities for players thereby to enhance the playing experience. In AU725571 there are two results generated, namely, the Primary Game (PG) and the Secondary (SG) Game. In this disclosure a player can have a wager on the PG and/or the SG and will win the PG if they have a winning wager on the PG and win on the SG if they have a winning wager on the SG and/or the PG.
The preamble of AU-B 725571 discusses another prior art variation of Roulette, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,442 (Orselli et al), which discloses a variation to a roulette game which provides “an additional betting opportunity” but does not provide an independent second or secondary game as such. With Orselli et al a system of “side bets” is disclosed which relies on an identical match between the result given by the roulette wheel and a separate random number generator. If the results are identical then a jackpot payout is provided. If they are not the same then no jackpot pay out of any kind is provided. Whilst the primary game (Roulette) portion of the layout remains unchanged, the layout portion of the secondary game displays individually the corresponding numbers of the wheel as individual betting areas. As a result there is 37 or 38 different betting areas required in addition to the traditional Roulette betting layout for the side bet. A player must make a wager on the primary Roulette game to make a wager on the side game. In the system described in Orselli et al, a player must select the exact winning result of the traditional wheel and also the exact result produced by the Random Number Generator used for the side bet. By way of explanation, if the player thinks both results will be 33, they must make a wager on the primary game then make a wager on 33 on the side bet. To win, both results must be 33. This places a great onus on the player to determine the outcome of a random number generator in addition to their bet on the traditional Roulette game. By use of only a single random number generator, Orselli et al provides a wager payment that is a single specified odd. For example, a result of a ‘33’ on the traditional Roulette wheel and a ‘33’ on the random number generator will pay at odds of 1000 to 1. There is no variation to payout.
International patent publication No. WO 02/056984 (Coinmaster Gaming Limited) discloses an automatic gaming apparatus that utilises two mechanical wheels to produce two independent results. A player may place a wager on one or two wheels. If the same result appears on both wheels, the player wins even larger odds than traditional roulette. This device also holds some of the funds to create a jackpot.
US patent publication No. US 2010/0102507 discloses a gaming table, method and device which has a number of mechanical concentric independent additional rings within a roulette wheel, thus producing more results, again from additional independent games being provided. Players may place a wager on how many of the independent rings will match e.g. match×3.
WO 00/33269 (Coinmaster Gaming Limited) discloses an electronic gaming or amusement machine directed to Roulette which gives the player or players the opportunity to play according to substantially increased betting odds by either playing more than one random selecting means, (ie a wheel) or playing a single random selecting means twice in succession. This system is also reliant on independent games being operated.
While roulette is a very popular game, it has suffered in comparison with some other modern games of chance because it does not provide the possibility of a very large payout for any of the defined bets. Traditionally, the greatest return on a bet is 35 to 1, which is the payoff for a successful bet on a single number. There has been no possibility of a large win such as is possible in certain slot machine gaming devices, for example.
In view of the foregoing, it is desired to address or ameliorate one or more disadvantages or limitations associated with the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative. It would be desirable, for example, to provide a game that maintains the essential characteristics of traditional roulette whilst enhancing interest in the game by enabling the possibility of a large payout for a single bet.